Comforting the Wounded
by Yanagi-sen
Summary: Companion fic to 'The Harder Battle'. Wufei appears out of nowhere, can Treize behave himself? Read 'The Harder Battle' first, please.


Comforting the Wounded

Comforting the Wounded

by Yanagi-sen

Gundam Wing fanfic

Usual disclaimers apply.I don't not own the puppets, I torment them only for my amusement (and yours).Soplease don't sue, I have nothing you want.

Warnings:shonen ai, lots of angst, implied violence and death

This fic and it's companion (The Harder Battle) were inspired by a program on the Discovery Channel about medics during wartime, just in case you were wondering, ne?

Additional Warning: Don't blame me if the translations are inaccurate.I used an online translator (since I speak NO German whatsoever), so any problems can be blamed on them.

AC 195

/character thoughts/

Treize reentered his suite and sat down before his fire with a slight sigh.While Une was not exactly an unwelcome intrusion, the meaning for said interruption was most undesirable.Treize sniffed the air, and glanced around casually.As a man trained from a young age to detect the most subtle nuances of vintages, he had no trouble discerning that there was someone else in his suite.Without seeming to, he scanned the room, searching the shadows for anything out of place.There.The curtain was not that way when he had left.And there.The shadow beside that cabinet was a little too large.He surripitously checked to see that his blade was where he had left it, yes it was.With the patience of a noble used to long banquets and meaningless parties, he waited.

Eventually, the shadow stirred.As it came closer, into the range of the firelight, Treize could see it was indeed someone he knew.A certain young Chinese Gundam pilot with whom he had dueled before.He had known the young Dragon would return someday, or night as the case may be.His pride would allow nothing less.And Treize would be more than happy to fight him again, if for no other reason than to break up the boredom of yet another night without his lover.

Treize watched the young man out of the corner of his eye.His heart beat rapidly in anticipation of their rematch."Guten Abend, Drache.[Good evening, Dragon.]So nice of you to drop by."

Wufei's eyes narrowed and he stared at the General along the length of his sword."Why do you call me that?"

He stood gracefully, bringing his sword with him."You are Chang Wufei, of the Long clan, are you not?If I am not mistaken, 'long' means 'dragon', and so..."He shrugged enjoying the boy's reaction.The young man's face flashed with anger.

"Prepare yourself!"Was all the warning Treize recieved before the Chinese pilot attacked.The boy was good, very good, but the General had him beat in experience and power.Wufei's youthful speed almost made up for it, but something seemed off.Treize watched the boy closely and came to a startling realization.The slight pilot was a little **too thin, and utterly exhausted.His face seemed drawn and pale, hollowed rings of fatigue under his obsidian eyes.Only pride and adrenaline were keeping him on his feet.Treize trapped the boy's sword and with a flick of his wrist, sent it spinning into the dark.**

"Kill me."Wufei pleaded, his onyx eyes dull.The man was struck by the pain behind those eyes.What could the boy be thinking?

"That is something I will not do, Dragon."All the fight seemed to leave the boy and he slumped, defeated.Treize dropped his sword and went to his side."Wufei, are you all right?"The young pilot didn't respond, just sort of wobbled on his feet.Treize was barely able to catch him as he collapsed.He lifted the boy and headed for the bed.He was alarmed by the lightness of the form in his arms.

/What has happened to this boy?Is he ill?When was the last time he ate anything? /Treize gently lay Wufei on his bed, concerned by the boy's shaking."Wufei.Dragon-child, can you hear me?"

"Treize."The boy's voice was faint.His face was pale and he swiftly rolled to his side, nearly falling off the bed.Treize recognized the battle to control one's stomach and grabbed a nearby trashcan.He held the boy's head and brushed back the raven-black hair.The boy had little in his stomach to lose and yet his insides still heaved.

By the time he was done, Wufei was left weak and trembling.He moaned slightly as Treize eased him back against the pillows his face ashen and almost waxlike.The General held a glass of water for the boy to rinse his mouth and laid him back on the bed.Wufei looked up at him with tear-filled, haunted eyes."Dragon, what is wrong?"

"Please, Treize.I can't stand it anymore."The tears started to run down his face.

/Child, what has happened to you?Where is my proud, defiant dragon? /He cradled the boy against his chest.

"Treize?"

"Shh, Dragon.It's all right.What happened?"

The boy shook harder, his voice broken, tortured; his breathes coming fast and shallow."It was... just... all the blood... screaming... I had to do it... coudn't do anything else... I had no choice..."

/The child is in some type of shock. He's hyperventilating. /"Dragon-child, Wufei, calm down."The boy twisted in his arms, his agonized eyes meeting Treize's.

"Please!I can't do this alone anymore.I can't live with this.I can't..."He watched as Wufei just broke down, burrowing into his arm.He was shocked, the boy was turning to his enemy for comfort.What could possibly have happened?Treize stiffened as the boy leaned into him./Wufei!What are you doing?Child, do you know how tempting you are?How beautiful? /The boy's allure was disarming and the General found his resolve weakening fast.He steeled himself, he didn't want to become attached.But he could feel the desperation of a drowning soul.Treize mentally sighed and relaxed./I understand.Whatever it is, you need comfort, and have no one else to go to. /He pulled Wufei into his lap, murmuring in what he hoped was a soothing tone. He hadn't had to help someone like this in a long time./I can't do anything to erase the past, but comfort... that I can give. /

Against his will, Treize found himself losing his heart to the boy.He was undeniably beautiful and in pain, two things guaranteed to capture his attention.Treize took all his doubts and shoved them into a dim corner in the back of his mind and slammed the door.There would be plently of time for regrets and guilt later.For now, he had to concentrate on not taking advantage of this opportunity.Wufei was in such desperate need, Treize could easily convince him to go along with anything.But that wasn't right, the boy had no clue what he was doing to him./You've been without a lover for far too long if you're attracted to a boy hardly old enough to shave regularly, Trey. /

Treize lay in absolute contentment holding the boy to him.He always enjoyed having someone to sleep with.It had taken a great deal of talking and gentle touches to get the boy to rest, but it had finally happened.He stroked the boy's thin but muscular back and smiled.His 'dragon-child' had fallen asleep laying across his chest.He brushed aside the long black hair and giving in a little to his forbidden desires, kissed the boy's head.Treize frowned and lay his hand on Wufei's forehead, then cheek.He rolled the boy onto his back.His face was flushed and Treize was unable to get a response."Damn!Wufei... Wufei!Can you hear me?!"He rolled out of bed and threw on a robe.Quickly retrieving a thermometer from the bathroom he checked the boy's temperature, and swore again.

"104.6?!"Covering Wufei a light blanket, Treize got a basin of cool water and started to bathe the boy's face and chest.He was so engrossed in caring for the slight pilot that he missed the knock at his door followed by the entrance of his aide.

"Was das?" [What the?]Treize spun to stare at the intruder.

"Une!"

"Excellency,... was..." [... what...]He turned back to his charge, too late to do anything about her now.

"Der Junge ist krank." [The boy is ill.]He stated matter of factly.She stepped up to peer over his shoulder.

"Aber... das ist..." [But... that's...]

"Ja."

He heard her soft sigh before she picked up the phone."Ich werde fur den Doktor schicken." [I'll send for the doctor.]

"**What do you mean, there's nothing wrong?Just look at him!"**

"Calm down, Your Excellency.You can't help him like this."Une lay a surprisingly gentle hand on his arm.

"You're right.Ich bin erbarmlich, Herr Doktor.[I'm sorry, doctor.] What did you mean there is nothing wrong?He has a very high fever."

"Yes, but that fever has no **physical cause.There is no infection or illness, he has no serious injuries.In short, there is no reason for him to have a fever."**

"Then why is he so ill, Herr Doktor?"

"Given the other information you've told me, I do have an idea.The only thing I can come up with, is that he is suffering from a psychosomatic reaction to some traumatic experience.Is there any possibility that something like that occured recently?"

Treize rubbed his eyes wearily, how did his one free night end up going straight to Hell?"I really have no idea.He **is a soldier though."**

"Ah, well at least that gives me something to go on.This seems familiar to me somehow.Let me ponder this a while."

"So what can we do?Is there something you can give him?"

"No.Any medication may simply mask other problems.All we can do is treat his symptoms and hope he can pull out of this himself."

Treize only half-listened to Wufei's fevered mumbles.He didn't want to let the boy think he'd divulged any secrets.Not that he had, but Treize tuned him out, just in case.He was currently engaged in giving the boy a sponge bath in an effort to lower his temperature.Something the boy said got his attention."Wufei?"

"Hmm?"The boy had responded, at least; though he was not lucid.

"**Who was responsible?"**

"Hmm?"

"Wufei." he said again, a little more forcefully.

"What?"Ah, finally, a real response.

"Who was responsible for the attack?"

"Oh... Boont... that traitor... Boont... "As soon as Wufei was settled again. Treize looked up information on Boont, the name seemed familiar.Conveniently, OZ had a record of the attack lead by Boont against a rebel base in China.

"Ach, mein Gott..."Treize looked at Wufei, then back at the horrific images on the screen.One of the downed Aries had continued to send back information until the rebels started dismantling it a couple days later.Treize watched as a slender figure in white went from body to body, for hours.Even at the distance the Aries was at, he could still hear the screams, could see the blood.Frequently, a body was carried off to the side and laid with the other dead, it was such a long row.He skipped the report ahead to where the boy finally slumped beside a fire and checked the time lapse.He turned off the report and went back to the bed, curling up around the fretful boy.

Une had insisted he take the day off.He smiled fondly, remembering their conversation.

_"Ich weiss, wie zu mein Aufgabe macht." [I know how to do my job.]___

_"Ich sage nicht, dass Sie nicht machen.Ich sage, dass es ware besser fur Sieden Tag entspannend auszugeben, und pflege Ihr... Gast, statt zu macht beide Aufgaben zu versuch." [I'm not saying you don't.I'm saying that, it would be better for you to spend the day relaxing and caring for your... guest, instead of trying to do both jobs.]___

_"Aber, Une..." [But,]___

_"Excellency, OZ konnen ohne Sie her ein paar Tag uberleban.Gehen Sie sorgt fur jenen Jungen." [Excellency, OZ can survive without you for a couple of days.Go take care of that boy.]___

Une had surprised him.Her attitude toward the Gundam pilot had gone from barely tolerating his presence, to concern.He wouldn't say she **liked the boy yet, but she wasn't shooting daggers with her eyes anymore either.Une too had been a little green after watching the report he'd shown her.The idea that anyone so young would have been placed in the position of dealing with so much trauma.It was sickening, especially since it was becoming more and more apparent that said trauma was the cause of Wufei's illness.'Shell-shocked' the doctor called it.Not uncommon in medics during wartime, having to treat exceptionally severe injuries and a great many of them.It was obvious that Wufei had been one of the few medics available.The sheer magnitude of the casualties, combined with no rest and little food, had sent his sorely taxed body spiralling into its current state.**

There had been no change for three days, and Treize himself was becoming a little worn around the edges himself.So now, instead of his tailored uniform, the head of OZ was dressed casually in khakis and a comfortable sweater.Since he knew he wouldn't have to leave his suite, Treize indulged himself and walked around barefoot.He opened the door and immediatedly noticed the change in the boy.Wufei was looking around, weakly,but with a clarity that had been missing for the last several days.

"Feeling better, Dragon?"He inwardly smiled at the blush that started to rise in the boy's slightly bewildered face.

"Treize..."

/Ah.He's not quite sure what happened.Probably thinks I took advantage of him. /He watched as Wufei's onyx eyes grew huge as he sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned over to gently caress his face.He felt the faint trembling in the boy, a boy who was currently too weak to fight back.Not that Treize would ever molest anyone in such a position and especially not someone so young.He felt nothing but disgust for people who took advantage of those weaker than themselves.Love is to be shared, not taken.He already regretted kissing the boy the other night, even though Wufei had not been aware.Though nothing had happened, he still felt a little guilty for being attracted to the boy.

"Call me Trey." he said, trying to put the boy at ease.He lay a hand on the boy's forehead, his skin was cool to the touch."Your fever's broken, finally.I'll get something for you to eat."He scowled at the boy in mock ferocity."You're too thin.You'll never be able to fight me if you don't take care of yourself."He turned to hide his smile when Wufei caught his arm.

"Did... did I say anything?"

Treize closed his eyes, he'd known this question was coming."You didn't give away any secrets if that's what you're worried about."He sighed and turned back, sitting again on the edge of the bed.He looked at the boy and was again struck by the fragile beauty in his still-pale face./No sense letting him know **how I know what happened. /"Let me give you some advice.If you're going to continue in this war, you've got to learn to let things go, or they will break you."/Please, 'dragon-child', listen to what I'm saying. /"Being a medic is a terrible responsibility, and also a tremendous burden.**

"I couldn't handle it.Most of us couldn't.I just thought you should know."/Maybe it will help with the guilt I see in your eyes.What did the doctor call it?'Survivor's guilt.'I can never understand how these warrior-medics can kill, and then turn around and heal.How they can possibly fight?When they know exactly what those weapons can do to human flesh.But maybe you'd never really seen that before, dragon-child.Maybe that's what pushed you to your breaking point. /He patted Wufei's arm and rose.It was hard to walk across the room, feeling those onyx eyes burning into his back.But if he didn't leave now, he didn't trust himself to behave, the Chinese pilot was entirely too beautiful for his own good.

He did pause at the door and turned to look at the boy in his bed."Let it go, Wufei; before you die inside.Let it all go."He closed the door behind him and leaned heavily against it./But I don't think **I can let it go. /**

He watched as the slender figure disappeared into the night.Wufei was still weak, but insistant that he leave.Treize was of two minds on that.On one hand, it lessened the tempation to seduce the boy; on the other, he really shouldn't be up and around yet.Trey was able to wring one concession out of him, that Wufei wouldn't try to fight for a little while.Come think of it, none of the Gundams had been doing much since 01 had self-detonated.Treize hoped the boy would return sometime.The prospect of another rematch was enought to set his heart racing.And if that rematch resulted in the boy staying for the evening.../Let's just say I'd be a happy man.Very happy indeed. /Treize wasn't sure if it was love, or good old-fashioned lust; but either way, a visit from the boy would be welcome.For now however, he was gone.

Treize sighed and closed the window, not locking it, and went to his very lonely bed.He had become accustomed to sleeping with another.It wasn't so much the sex that he missed when his Loki, his darling Milliardo; was away.It was the inability to hold his love close and sleep basking in his warmth.He had enjoyed the same feeling with Wufei, and now...Treize slipped out of his clothes and slid between the cold sheets.He curled up, hugging the pillow close.It still smelled of sandalwood and patchouli; in short, it smelled like the boy.It took a long time for the General of OZ to fall asleep, and when he did he dreamt of wolves and dragons.

-sin sin, tis done-

Do we see the beginnings of an obsession here, boys and girls?


End file.
